Friday, August 08, 2008

Skywatch Friday - 8 August 2008



It's always difficult to figure out what I want to post. The skies are very dramatic here at the moment - really they should be gray and more gray but the rainy season has been strange. There's been more thundering and noise than the drizzle that does the work of growing the rice.

Haha - just realized that I posted the date on Title as 15 August - but it's for 8 August. Guess I'm getting ahead of myself!



We played cat and mouse with these storms around Tha Khaek as we were driving down south last Saturday.



Whenever there is a lot of unexpected heavy rain, everyone gets out with the fishing nets, hoping to catch escapees from backyard fish ponds. They don't usually catch much but everyone always seems to have a great time. Except for the fish, and the people who raised them.



It continued raining on and off all day. This storm at sunset was really strange, and the rain splattering on the surface of the rice ponds gave it a gunmetal appearance.



The following day, the rain stopped for a while in the morning and the mists rose on the hill behind these teak trees.



Here's a view looking across the Mekong River to Sri Chiang Mai, Thailand. I was sitting in a Vietnamese restaurant in Vientiane yesterday and amazed at how much the river rose while I was gone.

When we visited Salavan, it rained a lot. The Department of Health thanked us - it hadn't rained in the Salavan area for a month until that day. I knew it had been bad, with thunderstorms dropping rain around the city but not on the surrounding rice fields, but I hadn't realized how bad it had been. I hope the rain stays steady until the few weeks before harvest, when the rice has to dry out.

This post is my contribution to Sky Watch Friday. Click on the link and see the skies around the world.

28 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love the rice fields. Wonderful photos although they are a bit hazy because of the weather. Makes it so much more dramatic. Great work! :)

ArneA said...

Very intriguing photos and stories from South East Asia.
Thanks for visiting my blog.
I will for sure return to yours on fridays or else in the week

Keera Ann Fox said...

You live with such interesting skies!

kjpweb said...

Great shots - the 2nd last especially! Wonderful SWF!
Cheers, Klaus

Anonymous said...

Great pictures, especially the 2nd!

Jane Hards Photography said...

Interesting collection and excellent narrative.

Anonymous said...

Post anything. It will be great.
Great view and taken.
Special report. Thanks for share.

Ellyn said...

Great skys. It is hard to tell in the one if that is mountain or sky. Great shot, all of them

dlyn said...

Such wonderful photos - beautiful scenery and dramatic skies. Happy SWF!

Michele said...

So much rain for you and it's so hot and dry here! We haven't seen rain for weeks!
Wonderful photos. They have so much character and drama happening. Outstanding!!
Mountain Retreat

alicesg said...

Very fantastic photos for SWF. Love the padi fields and the fishing scene. Will return to view your lovely blog. Have a nice weekend.

Lilli & Nevada said...

great skies

mrsnesbitt said...

Great to see so many perspectives round the globe each Friday. The fishing idea was very sensible, but not for the fish, I agree with you there.

Gemma Wiseman said...

Every pic is quite fascinating! I adore being an armchair traveller in Skywatch world!

GMG said...

Hi Chanpheng! 2008.08.08 is a very special day for Blogtrotter. So, before I start commemorating, let me just tell you how much I appreciate your comments on my blogs! Thanks a lot!
Beautiful skies, though a bit grey to my taste... ;))
Have a great day and a wonderful weekend!

Kelly said...

Very interesting sky photos! Enjoyed the stories and pictures!

magiceye said...

dynamic!

Dewdrop said...

So, usually you just have rain without thunderstorms... that would depress me. I love the sound of thunder. Great capture. That first one is AMAZING!

Barb said...

These are all quite dramatic. Love the mist in the teak trees!

Marie said...

A dramatic and beautiful post!

Sherer said...

Cool shots... Very dramatic clouds. Thanks - i'll be back

Anonymous said...

Very beautiful photos (the rice fields are exceptional good subjects), interesting stories (certainly the one about trying to catch some escaped fish).

Louise said...

This is a wonderful series of photos. Thanks so much for sharing us!

Raven said...

What a wonderful series of photos... and I really enjoyed the information you shared as well. Loved the one with the mist and the photo right before it. They were all wonderful, though.

SandyCarlson said...

The dark skies make the rice fields and the people look very dramatic. These are splendid compositions.

Bob Johnson said...

Beautiful images and very interesting to boot.

Luiz Santilli Jr said...

All photos are fantastic!

Marvelous pictures!

Have a happy weekend!

Torsdag 1952 said...

I like the photos with the mystic fog. Hallo from Germany